Reut - Intro, When Perek Aleph

When is Reut read?

Shavuos

When is Eicha read?

Tishabav

When is Shir Hashirim read?

Pesach

When is Kohelet read?

Sukkos

When is Esther read?

Purim

What are the 2 ways to read megillah?

1. Reading it in the order of holidays

2. Which comes first, Reut comes first. Eicha second, Shir Hashirim third, Kohelet forth, Esther last.

Who wrote Reut?

Shmuel. The majority percentage of megillah takes place in Israel. The rest takes place in South East of Israel, Moav. Takes place in around 1000 BCE during the period of the judges.

Where else do we see Moav?

Family leaves Sedom when it gets destroyed (Bereshit). Hashem saved Lot, wife, and 2 daughters. The wife died and daughters thought they were the only people left. They got his father drunk and slept with him to continue their lineage. This led to the birth of Moav (means from dad) and Ammon. The origin of the Moabites, who are descendants of Lot's younger daughter. The Torah states that you can marry converts,, but you can’t marry a Moabite no matter what (unless its a woman).

Why does it say “in the times the judges were judging”, judges judge. Ibn Ezra

We’re translating wrong. The translation is that Gd was judging the judges because they were corrupt.

Torah Temima of names:

Naomi: Pleasant

Machlon: Sickness

Chilyon: Destroy

Elimelech: My God is King, or I AM king.

Is it possible someone would name here kids “sickness” and “destroy”? Torah Temima

1. This is not their names. Shmuel named them this because they suck.

2. Both the sons name have different meanings (necudot). They behaved like sickness and destruction. They grew into a negative name.

Why did Elimelech die? We know he’s not old, his sons aren’t even married yet. Rashi

Rashi: Was very wealthy, but he left Israel, when the famine hit (lots of people needed his money).

Elimelech could have gone to Egypt why didn’t he?

In Moav, people didn’t believe in helping eachother, so he wont need to.

Why does it say Naomi, the wife of Elimelech twice? Rashi

Elimelech is “the man”, he controls everything. Naomi didn’t get punished because she didn’t have a choice but to listen.

2. You can argue Naomi got the worst punishment from Gd, survivor guilt, and losing her family.

Who do Orpah and Reut marry?

They both marry the sons of Elimelech, Mahlon (reut) and Chilion (orpah).

Why did the sons die?

1. They married non Jews (assuming there was no conversion).

2. They got Elimelechs money, and didn’t use it for good.

Why does it say Naomi and the daughter inlaws get up to leave Moav twice? Rashi

When a tzadik leave a place, it become less holy, the aura goes down. The tzadik is Naomi. This shows 2 things left (her presence and aura).

Why would a Jewish mother tell daugher in laws to stay in Moav?

1. They weren’t fully Jewish

2. No one will like her when she goes back

3. She’s testing them to see how commited they are to Judism.

WhATS Yubbim?

2 brothers, brother 1 got married, then dies. 2nd brother should marry the wife of brother 1.

Naomi is referring to the halacha. She wont have another son to give. If the brother doesn’t want to marry he has to get elders and spit in a shoe.

Reut says all these nice things are because Naomi is testing her (rashi):

Walk: Eruv on sabbath

Sleep: Shomer

Nation: 613 mitzvot

Gd: 1 Gd

Dying and burial - Burial restrictions